THE FUGITIVE

Sure everyone knows the basic story, maybe. Richard Kimble, a doctor falsely accused of murdering his wife, returning home one night from a drive in his car after a fight with his wife over his wanting to adopt children when they find out she can't have any...he nearly runs over a one armed man that he believes killed his wife Helen, who was prone to drinking and arguing with him after her miscarriage. On his drive and stop, Kimble saw a boy fishing in a rowboat who didn't see him. Neighbors heard the couple arguing. THe one armed could not be found.

The train crashes with Kimble and Gerard handcuffed together, Gerard being the touch by the book law man sent to deliver him to death row state prison. Kimble escapes and runs to a nearby farmhouse, cuts himself loose and looks for the one armed man everywhere he does, only encountering him about three times in three seasons...while Gerard looks for Kimble.

That basic premise, one that is sometimes mocked, is the plot. But how many people know the wit (Richard Kimble tells someone on a ship, "You never do know who you're talking to do you."), the total humanity (a sheriff's wife gives up her love of the law and what's right is right to help Kimble get away, making herself vulnerable to Gerard until the ENTIRE TOWN confesses to giving Kimble the key to his getaway; Kimble having saved a busload of children and a bus driver from a fire!), or the lonely boy who wants kImble to take him on the run with him...or the time Kimble returns to his home town...despite the danger to himself to help find papers that can save his in laws from debt...his in laws, parents of the woman he is accused of killing! ANd then there's Gerard's plight. Gerard is NOT in every episode and in fact may be in less than 30 of them but when he's there...he's so OBSESSSED, even taking a rowboat into a hurricane to catch Kimble.

Or the time Gerard uses a computer (with cards!) to try to catch Kimble.

The impact of this show, evil vs good, law vs humanity, the news vs the truth, etc. is just so great, it's hard to not be moved by it as a whole. True, there are a few bad episodes like any series but even those have something in them to recommend.

And David Jansen just can't be imitated by anyone. The big budget movie was NOT as good as the tv show and the remake of the tv show was lame. The MUSIC, the original music, not the stuff they put on the second season dvds, is just SUPER. If you've not seen this show find the original versions of it someplace and watch all 120. I doubt you'd be bored. It is so deep, funny at times, sad at others, moving almost always...